A New Kind Of Love
by Geisha Minah
Summary: Why does Severus act the way he does? Maybe because he lost everything else...


A New Kind of Love  
  
Diclaimer: I do not own anything familiar in this story. I am not making any money off of this and if I did, it would only to start a petition forcing JK to bring Sirius Black back. But I'm not so you don't have to worry about that.  
  
Summary: This is Severus Snape's story. The hidden years behind JK's most mysterious characters. The story starts off when Severus is 20 years old, a year before Harry is born. ___  
  
Severus felt himself flying towards Professor Dumbledore's office at lightening speed. The panic in him grew like brushfire. He was scared. Scared of what he chose to do, to become. Finally, he reached the safe haven of the Headmaster's office and started naming off every sweet he could remember. As the phrase "chocolate frogs" escaped his lips, the gargoyles protecting Albus' office sprung to life and moved out of the way of the scared youth.  
  
Panting, Severus grabbed the collar of the elder's royal blue robes and breathlessly shouted "Professor!"  
  
"Severus Snape? What is going on here?" Albus Dumbledore knew that Severus had given in the fear and became a follower of Lord Voldemort, a Death Eater. He looked at the face of his former pupil and saw tear marks both dried and wet streaking the sallow boy's face.  
  
"I-I don't know what to do!" Severus cried. "You have to help me!" Albus pushed Severus' hands off his robe and grabbed the shoulder of the shaking boy in front of him and snapped him back and forth once or twice to get Severus to come to his senses. "What are you talking about, boy?"  
  
"I don't want to do this anymore! I don't want to kill anymore. I don't want to live under his command anymore." Severus silently sobbed. He couldn't let himself look into the eyes of the wise Headmaster due to the feeling of guilt and shame which inhabited his heart right now.  
  
Albus took the quivering hands of Severus and held them tight. "Whose command?" he asked.  
  
"Lor-" he couldn't let himself say it. He hurt all over due to remains of the Cruciatus Curse which was cast on him by the Dark Lord that very night.  
  
"Voldemort?" Albus finished for him. Pity overcame him and all he wanted to do was make whatever was bothering young Severus vanish.  
  
"I don't want to be a Death Eater anymore! He'll kill me if I back out, but I need to! I can't take it anymore! I don't want to kill and bow and worship and grovel and kill some more. You have to help me!!" Severus broke down and scared, loud cries replaced the talking.  
  
"Severus, my child. I am so proud of you. I do see your predicament, but you've come to me when I never thought you would. Now, let's see. You want to get out of being a Death Eater, yet you don't want Voldemort to kill you?" Albus beamed with pride and assurance. Severus had found his sanity and wanted to leave the Death Eaters' Circle.  
  
Severus nodded and looked into Albus' eyes with pure thanksgiving. "Would you please help me? I can't stand the killing. I want to be free again. Not a slave."  
  
Albus Dumbledore stroked his long, white beard and let out a loud "hmm". "Well, the only thing I can't think of is, well, I can't think of anything right now. Give me a couple of days to think this over and talk to Minerva. She'll probably know what to do in this situation. Severus, stop crying. Look at me." Severus did as he was told and looked at his former Headmaster. "I can only imagine the pain and fright you are feeling right now, but I assure you, you will not be harmed. I will not let you get hurt by Voldemort anymore. You did the right thing by coming to me in your time of deepest despair. Stay here in Hogwarts for a couple of days, let things calm down, and then we'll figure things out. Since it's the summer, there aren't any students here to bother you. Does that sound fine with you, Severus Snape?"  
  
Nodding and then straitening up, Severus gave a look of pure innocence. "I'm so sorry, Professor. I'm really am."  
  
"You don't have to be sorry, son. You really don't. We are going to help you. Now, let's go find a room for you to stay in and we'll get some of the house elves to find some clothes for you to wear instead of these Death Eater garbs you are currently wearing." Albus led Severus to the door and put his hand of his shoulder. "Right thing way then." He led the youth down a few flights of familiar staircases and down a couple of corridors, into the dungeons. "I hope these will suit you. I know that you like to be solitary and no one comes down this part of the castle, except for potions class. I hope that these rooms will make you feel safe and welcome."  
  
Dumbledore opened the door for Severus and led him in. He looked at his former student's face one last time and felt very responsible for this man, no, boy. "Come to be if you need anything, alright Severus?" Albus received a nod and an appreciative smile in return. With that, Albus turned around and walked out the room, closing the door behind him.  
  
Severus took a deep breath of the cool air of the dungeons and looked around at his living space. It was spacious; the room was situated so that the chairs and the writing desk left a large amount of floor room. The fireplace was crafted out of gray stone, which brightened up the dim, dark room. Even though the main two colors of the room were forest green and mahogany, it wasn't dreary. It was comfortable. Across from where Severus was standing, a door make out of the finest wood made an entrance to a bedroom. The main focus was the large, canopy bed, positioned against the opposing wall right in between two windows. Severus walked over to the bed a flopped down. He looked at the green fabric above him and closed him eyes. /Thank you. I'm going to be free./  
  
Minutes, or maybe hours, after just lying on the bed, Severus heard a knock on the door. "Come in."  
  
A quaint house elf squeaked in carrying a bundle of black clothing. "Mister? Master Dumbledore sends Gaia with clothings for Mister Snape. He says that Gaia is to bring you's anythings you needs, sir. Do you want Gaia to brings you anythings?" The house elf was pathetic in Severus' mind, but he chose to ask the creature for something anyways.  
  
"Yes, please. Could you please bring me something to eat and drink? Tea maybe? Or if you even have it, a Firewhiskey would be nice." Severus needed something to soothe his headache, even if it was going to give him a bigger one in the morning.  
  
"Yes, Mister. Of course, Mister. Gaia will be back with just that, Mister." With that, the house elf left the room giving time for Severus to get changed into the bed clothes Gaia the house elf brought.  
  
Severus laid down on the bed again and waited for Gaia to come back. As he sat there, he thought about the day and his conversation with Professor Dumbledore. /A way to break off from the Death Eaters and be free./  
  
___  
  
I hoped you liked it! I plan on updating every week, maybe twice if I feel like it. This is just the beginning, I promise you it will get more interesting. Two words: love life. Just ponder that for a couple of days. And don't forget to review!  
_~*Love, Renée*~_ 


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